This solution aims to create a better governance (shared governance) of natural resources in the coastal zone of Soc Trang Province, Mekong Delta, Vietnam to protect its first line of coastal defence (mangroves) and to improve the livelihood of local communities through resource conservation. This approach also ensures climate justice through participative stakeholder processes and benefits for all affected stakeholders.

Fishing gear used around the world is sometimes abandoned, lost, or discarded at sea. It impacts marine life and the livelihoods of coastal communities that rely on healthy oceans and is called “ghost fishing gear”.

The communities from the Gulf of Tribugá understand this problem and are collaborating with ECOMARES in the participatory design of a management strategy to prevent, mitigate, and remediate the damages caused by ghost fishing gear on biodiversity.

Fishers are identifying simple but effective measures to prevent or mitigate the loss of fishing gear. A local group is using diving as a tool to maintain rocky reefs and mangroves free from ghost fishing gear.

After cleaning events, the big challenge is to recycle the materials retrieved, and we are making progress thanks to the sum of efforts by different stakeholders, institutions, and project allies.

Improving communication between fishers and divers is another challenge.

North America’s Laurentian Great Lakes truly are great. These “inland seas” represent the world’s largest freshwater ecosystem, with over 21% of the earth’s surface freshwater. And yet for all their importance these lakes have suffered much. Climate change, invasive species, contaminants and habitat loss are just some of the stresses that have profoundly impacted and altered them.

It is a challenging context for conservation, and accordingly, protected area agencies and partners across the lakes have sought ways to strengthen and enhance the effectiveness of their efforts. To this end, the Great Lakes Protected Areas Network (GLPAN) was established to improve communication and facilitate collaboration at the binational (Canada-United States) scale. One outcome of this partnership has been better profile and awareness of protected and conserved areas on other binational platforms, most notably the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

In October 2023, the Ministry of the Environment of Japan (MOEJ) certified 122 sites as the first “Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Sites” under their newly launched OECMs certification scheme, which was developed with consideration to match nature and culture of Japan.  These sites, excluding sites that are already recognized as protected areas (e. g., national parks), will be recognized as OECMs in Japan. The main purpose of the this scheme is to recognize sites where biodiversity is conserved through private entities’ initiatives. MOEJ conducted a trial certification scheme in 2022 with the members of “30by30 alliance for biodiversity ,” which is the multi-stakeholder platform that was launched in April 2022 with the aim to effectively promote the measures embodied in Japan’s 30by30 roadmap.  The full operation of the new OECMs certification scheme started in April 2023, accepting applications from the management authority of the sites.

Nech Sar National Park is one of Ethiopia’s oldest protected areas, conserved for its diverse flora, fauna, and unique landscapes. However, unsustainable use of resources poses a significant threat to the park. The absence of standardised protocols and systems for recording illegal human activities and threats hinders the effective use and management of the park. The poor enforcement of planning, decision-making and resource allocation processes further fuels the issue.

To address these challenges, the BMZ-funded and GIZ-implemented Biodiversity and Forestry Programme introduced the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART). SMART is a tool that simplifies and enhances data collection, analysis, and reporting in protected area management. It supports various conservation activities such as protection of biodiversity, law enforcement, natural resources utilisation, and tourism management. With its easy-to-use features, SMART offers powerful options for effective management and protection of natural resources.

Mule deer are an iconic migratory species of the western United States. Wyoming has some of the longest, most intact mule deer migrations in the lower 48 states. As anthropogenic influences increase and migrating ungulates continue to decline worldwide, a focus on protecting migration paths must be emphasized.

Mule deer travel across Wyoming to merge with 5,000 more mule deer for the winter where they continue their migration north. A pinch point known as the Fremont Lake ‘bottleneck’ was a serious threat to the migration path; the deer squeeze through a 400m wide area twice a year. The migration path through the bottleneck was blocked by a 2.5m tall woven wire fence. The area was identified as an important area for migration and was purchased by a national non-profit the Conservation Fund. The land was transfered to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and designated as the Luke Lynch Wildlife Habitat Management Area preventing the obstruction of the migration corridor.

The Romanian portion of the Carpathian Mountains holds the largest continuous forest ecosystems in Europe, harbors many well-preserved natural habitats, and is home to large herbivores and carnivores, including brown bear. A total of 30.2% of the national territory is covered by forest, including virgin forests and ancient beech forests. However these sites are disconnected.

The COREHABS initiative (Ecological corridors for habitats and species in Romania) is providing corridor modelling as a decision support tool for stakeholders, giving them the opportunity to develop infrastructure while considering the ecological measures necessary to ensure the long-term viability of species and habitats. COREHABS and other research projects are investigating the degree to which existing ecological networks ensure landscape connectivity, and are providing practical recommendations for integrating connectivity conservation into national, regional, local, rural and urban planning.